Research background and hypothesis. Research demonstrates that the first signs of body dissatisfaction develop during childhood, i.e. at the age of 4-7; thus, we may argue that negative body image originates during childhood. However, the research of D. Raufelder, S. Braun, A. Latsch, and other authors (2014) demonstrates that body image is especially highlighted during the early adolescence as adolescents start focusing on their physical appearance. Adolescents at this age period undergo an intensive puberty. It is known as a transitional period from childhood to youth. It must be noted to the fact that precisely during this period complicated contradictions of physical and mental development emerge, while having a rather significant influence on the body image formation. Previous studies have shown that adolescents experience major physical, social, emotional, and moral changes. Due to such ongoing changes, adolescents' physical appearance becomes one of the top concerns. It is known that dissatisfaction with physical appearance among girls is often reflected in a desire to be thinner, while among boys-a desire to be bigger, taller, become more muscular and have a nice body shape. Research has proven that adolescents have a very precise physical appearance, which is related to their own mental representation. However, there is a gap in research analyzing dissatisfaction with the physical appearance, i.e. body parts, among boys and girls. Research aim was, during the analysis process of body part satisfaction of adolescents undergoing the early period of adolescence, to compose a combined body image of this specific age period and identify gender differences. Research methods. The research was conducted during the months of March-April-May, 2012. A random probabilistic sampling method was used with the 8 th grade pupils from 24 general education schools located in various cities and towns around Lithuania. The research sample was comprised of 1347 (boys n=674, girls n=673) 8 th graders. Research results. Results of the present research allow to conclude that adolescents are more dissatisfied with such areas of the body build, which are phenotype dependent and more satisfied with the individual morphological features of the body (facial skin, feet, cheeks, ears, hair, chin, lips, eyes, neck), which are genotype dependent. There is a difference in perception of a body image among boys and girls (p=0,000). Boys are more content with their body parts as compared to girls.

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Background. This study aims to develop and implement a curriculum of non-formal physical education in school and assess its effectiveness for the physical development of 11−13-year-old children. Methods. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage 51 fifth grade children (M age = 11.3 years) participated in a quasi-experiment for two years. The children were organized into two groups: E and C. Both groups shared the duration (1 hour) and frequency (twice a week) but were different in their education curriculum. In the second stage (after four years) 72 sixth graders (M age = 13.0) participated from the same comprehensive schools. The focus groups underwent anthropometric (height, weight, BMI) and physiometric (VC, right and left handgrip strength) measurements. Dependent t test indicated that over two years E and C group girls’ and boys’ height, weight, right and left handgrip strength indices increased significantly, p < .05. Results. E group girls’ and boys’ BMI and C group girls’ VC indices did not change significantly, p > .05. Independent t test indicated that in the second research stage differences in anthropometric and physiometric measurements of groups were not significant, p > .05. Conclusion. The developed and implemented curriculum of non-formal education in the schools had the biggest positive effect on the decrease of 11−13-year-old children’s levels of BMI and the increase in the VC levels.